Documentación del proceso productivo del café:

The Kenya Traffic Act requires that,

Traffic (amendment) Bill Cap 403 has had insertion of section 103 B, where

One helmet

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said to be rather prohibitive for most boda boda owners. Owners of the

were unwilling to buy hence majority of the respondents had one helmet.

lack of enforcement of the helmet law meant that

motivation to have the two required helmets. It is easy for the boda boda

to avoid buying an extra helmet because the law requiring that the rider pillion passenger wear helmets is not enforced and therefore there is no fear for

consequences. Hence, the owner does not buy the extra helmet. The hired riders may not buy the extra helmets because it is not their responsibility.

illustrates respondents’ number of helmets.

Source: Field data (2012)

: Respondent’s Number of Helmets

Helmet Use by Passengers

The Kenya Traffic Act requires that, boda boda passengers use helmets.

Traffic (amendment) Bill Cap 403 has had insertion of section 103 B, where

65% 32%

3%

Number of helmets

One helmet Two helmets Three Helmets

owners. Owners of the boda

were unwilling to buy hence majority of the respondents had one helmet.

lack of enforcement of the helmet law meant that there was no

boda boda owner

to avoid buying an extra helmet because the law requiring that the rider and not enforced and therefore there is no fear for consequences. Hence, the owner does not buy the extra helmet. The hired riders may not buy the extra helmets because it is not their responsibility. Figure

passengers use helmets.The

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among other things in the Traffic Act, section 103B states that, motorcycle operators should only ferry one passenger and the passenger and rider must put on reflective vests and helmets. This study found that 72.2% of the respondents reported non-use of helmets among passengers, while only 24.6% reported the use of helmets. The remaining 3.2% used helmets occasionally. Consequently, this study found, use of helmets by passengers as reported by the respondents to be minimal. In the recently amended Traffic Act, there is a fine of Kshs 10,000 and in default 12 months imprisonment for those who do not comply with the helmet law. It is not easy to tell if this has been enforced fully. This is because many riders could still be spotted ferrying passengers that did not have helmets. There have also been sporadic arrests of those not using helmets. Table 20 shows the frequency of use of helmets by motorcycle passengers.

Table 20: Use of Helmets among Motorcycle Passengers as Reported By Riders Do passengers use

helmets Frequency Percent

Cumulative Frequency Cumulative Percent Yes 91 24.59 91 24.59 No 267 72.16 358 96.76 Some 12 3.24 370 100.00

Source: Field data (2012)

Use of helmets is low in many countries. Studies have shown that wearing a motorcycle helmet correctly can reduce the risk of death by 40% and the risk of severe injury by 70%. Motorcyclists who do not wear helmets are almost three times more likely to be killed compared to those who wear helmets WHO, (2009). In a study of factors associated with severity of road traffic injuries in

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Thika – Kenya, Bachani et al., (2012) observed that measures such as helmets would help reduce severity of road traffic injuries.

In the current study, the reasons given for non – use of helmets by passengers as reported by the riders were varied. The helmets were said to be unhygienic by 60% of the respondents, who said that they found them to be dirty, smelly and sweaty and could transmit skin diseases because they were shared. Apart from hygiene, 35% of the women were concerned about their hair; they claimed that helmets spoiled their hairstyles. They hence preferred not to use them. In both the passenger FGDs, the hair style and hygiene were emphasized. The women participants indicated that indeed those factors affected helmet use.

The reasons put forward by the passengers for non-use of helmets in this study needs to be taken seriously. When there is only one helmet which is shared among all passengers, a concern over hygiene becomes valid. On the issue of hygiene, there can be improvised or disposable paper to be put on the inner side of the helmet although this may have environmental and financial implications. In Nigeria, the people have found ways to cope with the hygienic problems. Some passengers now wear a cap, a scarf, or even a handkerchief on top of their head before putting on the helmet (Connors, 2010). This could help if adopted in Kenya to ensure that the rate of helmet use goes up if their reason for non use of helmets is hygiene. Unfortunately literature does not indicate the extent to which this strategy improved helmet use in Nigeria. In addition, in Nigeria when the Helmet law was enacted in 2009, the passengers concerns were that

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the helmets had some ‘juju’(witchcraft) put there by the motorcyclist to make

the passenger dumb and then steal from him or her or to hypnotize unsuspecting passengers for rituals (Connors, 2010; Oseni, 2009). In Lagos Nigeria spiritual meaning is attached to the use of helmets. While the concerns may differ slightly, they all contribute to non-use of helmets among motorcycle passengers.